While we still believe HTML/JS developers have lapped Adobe and flash in terms of efficiency and delivery viewports, this video from Adobe shows a glimmer of hope. This prototype “Wallaby” application converts Flash to HTML5, keeping animations and graphics, but losing some things like blending modes and other fancy special effects. Hmm… Very Interesting!
A start for Adobe. We’ll probably have to wait until CS6 to see this implemented. We also speculate that this is a re-working of the previously anticipated Flash to App converter that was to be part of the CS5 suite (now available since Apple lifted third party bans on dev). Can we beta Wallaby? It might be energizing to see old flash projects on my iPhone.
Last week we launched a new application called “Baby Loves Music”. That same week we received our first Cease and Desist letter from Baby Loves Everything to stop all infringing acts of the name Baby Loves Music, as they claim common law ownership over the name.
After some digging at the US Patent and Trademark Office, we found that a patent for the name Baby Loves Music was listed, but dead. We feel we are outside the definitions of goods and services, but none-the-less (even though the patent is dead) we are not here to bust anyone’s chops.
We have designed a solution to this issue, and it is as follows: We have changed the name of the application “Baby Loves Music” to “Baby’s First Music”. We have changed all instances of the name across websites and iTunes. A update to the application has been approved for sale, and all owners of the application will receive a push notification of the update’s availability.
We wish the owners of the “Baby Loves..” line of products would accept our sincere apologies if they feel we have infringed on any trademarks (living or dead), and want you to know that in no way did we wish to profit from or harm your brand. We also wish to state that Dirk+Weiss has no affiliation with the name Baby Loves Music, or company Baby Loves Everything, LLC.
We have released a new update to the Art Institute of Boston app today. This update brings a new interface, that loads faster and acts more efficiently. There are now four blogs included of different departments at AIB.
App features include:
- News from the AIB Facebook feed
- Shuttle Schedule from all the Lesley Campuses
- Mobile view of student artwork
- Library searching
- Links to department blogs
This app update has been rebuilt from scratch on an HTML5 and CSS architecture, using the PhoneGap open source web-app framework. This allows for faster, more efficient design, usability and updating.
If you already own the app, update today! If you are interested in the Art Institute of Boston, download the app to see all that AIB has to offer.
If you have every walked, driven, biked or ran through Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, you have probably spotted those large groups of tourists being lead around by tour guides wearing straw hats and carrying signs. This is the Hahvahd Tour, and now they can say, “There’s an app for that”.
Today, a new application that we created went live into the iTunes App Store. Trademark Tours Presents: Harvard University, is a campus tour application for the prestigious institution, and is filled to the brim with great, rich content.
Creature Features
Integrated Google Maps and GPS
“Live Tour” footage
Bonus Content Galore!
Streaming Audio
Harvard Square Business Directory
Free Souvenier Map
Integrated video in the app, no buffering
Ability to jump to a stop anytime you wish
Development Insight
This application was built using PhoneGap, an open source framework that allows for developing mobile applications natively using HTML/CSS and JavaScript. The benefit of using PhoneGap over Apple’s own XCode Environment and Objective C programming, is the portability to other devices such as Android OS and Blackberry Apps.
When developing this way, you can easily develop lighter-weight “Web Apps” that actually just use the browser framework that is native to the platform, rather than writing a code base from scratch. This elevates errors, but is not without some higher performance drawbacks. While things can run incredibly smooth in the web framework of these mobile devices, any more advanced animations, gaming or hardware intense acceleration is better off inside the native language.
This app also uses JQuery along with PhoneGap to create animations and navigation. Video and audio are using HTML5 standards.
We are looking for students in the local Boston and or Cambridge areas that are interested in getting into iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Applications. We have some current and future projects that require beta testing in focus groups, and let’s just say, we’re pumped!
Beta Tester Requirements
A college student with an interest in mobile application design/development
Have an iOS compatible device (Preferably iPhone or iPod Touch)
Access to the T or public transportation
Signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement to Begin (this just says what you’re testing and it’s results are confidential and may not be shared with anyone except DW)
If you love apps, design, technology and “enjoying the sights” of Boston/Cambridge, then let us know. Send us a message on our Facebook Page or @dirkweiss on Twitter, or just plain email us. – mw [at] dirkweiss [dot] com
